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Holy Stitch! Denim Social Club teaches the youth to be Social Entrepreneurs via the sewing machine, clothing, music and the arts.
Our goal is to control the means of our clothing from seed to retail while inspiring the masses and employing the youth every step of the way.
There are a few problems in San Francisco and the world in general. In San Francisco, the birthplace of jeans there is only one factory making them for all the people and companies who make their pilgrimage SF to make them. Levi's moved all of their production to more logical places all over the world and within the existing factories, the workers are literally dying off. With San Francisco's minimum wage at a near $11.00 this creates a problem and opportunity. Problem for the old paradigm of clothing production and opportunity for the new one. OURS. Who is passing on the knowledge of clothing production and are the stereotypes of what a factory is still true? Why not hire and teach local youth these skills to have a job and then to implement themselves into a bigger picture of the world?
For a fact, to gain access to real life experience in the industries is something that the "fashion" schools do not provide. Holy Stitch! serves as an alternative to pre, post and current students.
San Francisco used to be a manufacturing center and is currently a technological epicenter. We are thinking of combining the two to create a new kind of method of clothing consumption and production.
We seek to have an off the grid powered manufacturing center that triples as a school and community center. Think when Willy Wonka making clothes: fully interactive, teaching lessons, fun and still a factory. First a portable version in an ice cream truck then a 18 wheeler trailer and finally a brick and mortar on the piers of SF using wind, solar, water and hipster power. Think people giving us a certain amount of power for the clothing they want instead of using money.
Cotton Fields + Child Labor + Education + Social Club + School + Cult = Holy Stitch!
The story, as told by founder Julian Dash:
Holy Stitch! Denim Social Club teaches the youth to be Social Entrepreneurs via the sewing machine, clothing, music and the arts.
Our goal is to control the means of our clothing from seed to retail while inspiring the masses and employing the youth every step of the way.
There are a few problems in San Francisco and the world in general. In San Francisco, the birthplace of jeans there is only one factory making them for all the people and companies who make their pilgrimage SF to make them. Levi's moved all of their production to more logical places all over the world and within the existing factories, the workers are literally dying off. With San Francisco's minimum wage at a near $11.00 this creates a problem and opportunity. Problem for the old paradigm of clothing production and opportunity for the new one. OURS. Who is passing on the knowledge of clothing production and are the stereotypes of what a factory is still true? Why not hire and teach local youth these skills to have a job and then to implement themselves into a bigger picture of the world?
For a fact, to gain access to real life experience in the industries is something that the "fashion" schools do not provide. Holy Stitch! serves as an alternative to pre, post and current students.
San Francisco used to be a manufacturing center and is currently a technological epicenter. We are thinking of combining the two to create a new kind of method of clothing consumption and production.
We seek to have an off the grid powered manufacturing center that triples as a school and community center. Think when Willy Wonka making clothes: fully interactive, teaching lessons, fun and still a factory. First a portable version in an ice cream truck then a 18 wheeler trailer and finally a brick and mortar on the piers of SF using wind, solar, water and hipster power. Think people giving us a certain amount of power for the clothing they want instead of using money.
Cotton Fields + Child Labor + Education + Social Club + School + Cult = Holy Stitch!
{image 4} The story, as told by founder Julian Dash:
I always knew since 5th grade that I was going to have my own business and that it would have something to do with clothes and music.
Then in college, after working for everyone but myself, I decided I wasn't going to work any job that left me unhappy. So really, my history begins with my frustration, and the Youth.
I spent 6+ years working with youth, tutoring after school, living as a resident counselor in at-risk centers, always using art as a means to heal, communicate, and educate. One day at one of the schools, we found a room full of sewing machines and tools. That's when I started to teach sewing to kids (I even still use some of those found tools today.)
Jeans began after a dream literally sprang me up from bed. All I heard was a voice that said "sew jeans!" I did not understand at first but after finding 4 industrial machines for the price of 1, I did. It ended up replacing a troubling graffiti habit...
Three pairs of jeans later I landed a job in the workshop at Levi's, and then Made in Oakland, a socially conscious, full service apparel manufacturer that hired only from the local community.
...
But the truth is:
It is not me, alone, who has made what I've made. I am a direct product of all the experiences I've ever lived through, all the connections that I've fostered, and all the people I've met over the years.
I'm not a special person; I'm a normal person. But special things have happened to me, and I want to share the result of those things with other people.
I want people to know that they can cultivate those special things to happen to them also.
...
And as far as Holy Stitch is concerned... Holy Stitch began with a joke by friends saying that I ran my denim repair business like a cult. They called me Pastor Dash.
I guess I do have a flock to lead now...
